


Rescuing Bitties!

by orphan_account



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Bittybones (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Swapfell (Undertale), Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fights, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Injury Recovery, Multi, Past Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Past Violence, Physical Abuse, Reader Has A Name, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader-Insert, Recovery, Rescue, Sexual Abuse, Swapfell Papyrus (Undertale), Swearing, Verbal Abuse, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:48:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24592558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: You're Ivy Llewynn, a young woman with a steady job, a decent house in the fringes of the city, and yet you're bored and tired of your monotone life. That is, until you stumble into the middle of a bitty being traded from one fighting ring to another. Before you know it, you're uncovering the true origin of bitties all the while helping multiple bitties recover from their past.***Heavily inspired byBittybones in need of a good home. You're providing it!by Warriorstale001, go check it out!
Relationships: Bittybone(s) & Reader
Comments: 12
Kudos: 77





	1. Finding a Mutt

You yawned as you walked down the city streets. It was a Friday, and you were finally out of work for the weekend. You even had Monday off because of a holiday! So, despite the downpour of rain from the clouds, you were in a good mood. Once you got home, it would be time to relax, eat ice cream, and watch TV. What a life.

It was 5:58 PM and you were almost home when you heard aggressive talking from a nearby alleyway. This was common, being that you were in the city, so you just walked by. Yet, you heard a snippet of the conversation and what was said immediately made you stop in your tracks and listen.

"I'm 'tellin ya, this is the real one! It's not some 'fuckin Tall bitty with edgy-ass clothing!" Guy #1 snapped.

"Listen you idiot, I don't care if it's a Tall or the actual Mutt, I just need a strong one, m'kay? My last one was a goddamned Baby Blue that dusted in it's first fight!" Guy #2 replied, and the rustle of clothing was heard. Sounds like one of 'em was just pinned to a wall.

"Alright alright! It just got outta a fight so it's not at it's full potential but it can summon some huge ass bones," You resisted the urge to punch them both. From the sounds of it, you had walked into some sort of bitty fighting ring trade. Forcing bitties to fight was illegal of course, but they continued on anyways. Your soul ached for that poor Baby Blue, if you had known about this before...no, you couldn't think wishfully. There was a new bitty you could save now, so you had to focus.

"Mutt, summon 3." Guy #1 commanded.

Three _whoosh_ noises were heard, followed by a muffled gasp.

"How the hell are they so fucking big??" Guy #2 managed to choke out.

"Told you it was the real Mutt, asshole." Guy #1 said, and you could almost see the devilish grin he probably had on his face.

"Okay, okay! $10k is all I got on me right now, will you take that?" Ten **THOUSAND** dollars for a bitty?? How strong was this little guy? You hoped the bitty wouldn't kill you when you were trying to save it.

"'Fuckin hell, you Ebott fuckers are cheap. Fine, I'll take it. Hand over the money." Guy #1 huffed. If $10,000 was supposedly "cheap", how much was he expecting? You groaned quietly. 

There was shuffling, and something rattled inside what you thought was a box. If they were keeping the bitty in there you were gonna kill them. Well, not really. But maybe.

"See ya, fucker." Guy #1 mumbled, and you saw him stumble out of the alleyway and walk past you. Were you really that invisible? Eh, who cared. Now was your chance. You unsheathed your pocket knife and-

"HANDS UP!" You yelled, pinning Guy #2 against the brick wall. He dropped the cardboard box he was holding. Damn, he really was keeping the bitty in there. You cringed internally, hoping the poor thing was alright.

"What the hell do you want, kid?" Guy #2 grumbled. You rolled your eyes at the man, who dressed like a lumberjack and smelled strongly of alcohol. You coughed a bit as the scent hit you. Blegh.

"I want this bitty." You stated simply. The guy scoffed, and was about to say some witty remark when you continued. "Or I'll call the police."

"O-okay, fine, fine! Take it, jeez." Really? It was that simple? You warily let go of the man, who then scuttled away, leaving you alone with the bitty. Shaking your head, you sighed as you put away your pocketknife. You really wanted to get those two arrested, but at least you rescued the bitty. Kneeling down, you began carefully opening the wet box.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, alright little guy? I just want to hel-HOLY HECK!" As soon as you opened the box, a GIANT bone appeared in front of you. You swiftly dodged, colliding with the wall. The guy wasn't lying when he said the magic bone attack things were big. For a second, you wondered what you had gotten into. This bitty was quite obviously dangerous, and able to impale you at any second. Plus, you didn't know too much about bitties besides that one time you made small talk with a Papyrus bitty your cousin owned. And this one was definitely NOT a Papyrus bitty. You heard rustling from the box, and shook your head. You had to try, right?

Suddenly, it was standing in front of you as you sat against the alleyway wall. Well, not really standing. It was pretty slouched. Ouch, you'd have to work on that. Looking the bitty over, you could tell he was in rough shape. He wore a tattered and ragged dark purple hoodie that was pulled over his head, and his legs were covered by a pair of black pants that were much too big for him. The head shape indicated he was a Tall bitty of some sort, but he had two gold fangs sticking out of his jaw and hanging over the rest of his teeth. That, you were pretty sure, wasn't normal. His neck bones (were they called vertebrate? You didn't pay attention much in Biology class.) seemed to be suffocated by a purple-tinted collar, spikes and all. A threadbare piece of a leash came out of the collar, draping down to his legs. His actual bones were chipped, scarred, broken, fractured, and covered in dust. He glared at you with hazy pink eyes, the right one mostly closed but fiercely glowing a brighter pink. If you ever managed to calm him down and get him home, it seemed the bitty had a long road to recovery.

"you're not my master." He stated blankly, his gaze unflinching. Well, of course you weren't. You didn't want the poor thing to call anyone "master" ever again. But, you knew what he meant. Suddenly, he spoke again. "and if you're not my master, i'll attack you until you show me where he is."

...Oh.

"He's not your master anymore, I am. We made a deal, and I own you now." You told him, hoping he would take it.

"ok, master." The bitty nodded slightly, and the eye that was glowing relented, turning into black. God, you didn't like being called master. It made you feel sick. Still, if that's what it took to bring the bitty home, you'd deal with it. Okay, next step was to see if he had a name.

"Thank you! What's your name, by the way?" You tried to sound as cheery and passive as possible, hoping he wouldn't attack you randomly. You doubted he would, but you were still on edge. The bitty blinked a few times, seemingly surprised by the question. Did he...not have a name or something?

"my name is mutt." He answered after a short pause. Ah, right. The first guy said he "was the real Mutt", didn't he? But that was a terrible thing to call someone. You decided to press further, hoping he had a different name before he got involved in this all.

"I can't call you that, though. That's rather...insulting, don't you think?" He blinked hazily a few times, before shrugging. "Do...were you called a different name ever?"

That question seemed to make him confused. He blinked again, before closing his eye. After a short while, he answered with a hint of confusion in his voice.

"...my birth name was papyrus." He answered. This time, it seemed it was your turn to be confused. He couldn't have started out as a peppy Papyrus bitty, could he? No, based on your conversation with your cousin's Papyrus bitty, they were much louder and eager. This bitty was instead quiet and whenever he spoke, his speech seemed to drawl and come out slowly. You were pretty sure that was a characteristic of Tall bitties.

"You weren't a Papyrus bitty to begin with, right?" You asked hesitantly. He tilted his head for a second, before it returned to normal and instead he closed his eye. You guessed that meant he was thinking. 

"...no." He answered eventually. You'd also have to work on these short answers he gave. You had to work on a lotta things, huh? Anyways, you couldn't call this quiet, aggressive bitty Papyrus. Besides, even if he was a Papyrus bitty, all bitties were usually renamed. For example, your cousin named her Papyrus bitty Sunny. One name came to mind, and it was similar enough to that "Mutt" name that the bitty might even like it. Who knows.

"Alright, would you mind if I called you Wolf?" You questioned tentatively, and the bitty blinked again a few times. 

"...everyone calls me mutt, though. it's what i've been known as for as long as i can remember, really." Soon after saying this, the bitty flinched, and began speaking again, this time much faster. "but you can call me whatever you want, of course master. i apologize for disobeying you. punish me however you would like, master."

Yeesh, he couldn't even protest or voice his opinion on anything without getting punished? That was _terrible_. Plus, if he had always known Mutt as a name, maybe you could tolerate it. 

"No, it's okay. I won't hurt you, alright? If you don't like the 'Wolf' name I can just call you Mutt, if you would like. I mean no harm, seriously." You tried to sound as calm and kind as possible, and the bitty was seemingly taken aback by this. But, surprisingly he replied rather quickly.

"i do like the wolf idea you had." Oh, he did? You let out a sigh of relief. Calling a living creature "Mutt" left an acidic taste in your mouth. 

"Alright, I'll call you Wolf then! Would you mind if I picked you up?" You said with a patient smile. Wolf shook his head.

"no, master." Right, he still would call you that. As he walked into your outstretched hand, you wondered if he would call you your actual name. That'd be better.

"My name's Ivy, by the way." 

...

No response. Damn. Well, it was a miracle he didn't kill you, let alone let you pick him up, so maybe you'd leave it off there for the day. As you began walking home, clutching Wolf gently but firmly in your hand, you realized he had no clue where he was going.

"I'm taking you to my house, okay? It's pretty big, at least that's what my friends say." You told him quietly.

"yes, master." Wolf said sleepily. Poor thing probably didn't get too much sleep, and you knew Tall bitties were known for their laziness, similar to Sansies. You wondered if he'd sleep for days.

As you eventually reached your house at 6:43 PM, you thought to yourself, _so much for a relaxing weekend._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: A quiet morning of angst and bitty research, along with a glimpse into Wolf's past.


	2. If You Find One Of These Bitties, Call The Police Immediately

Much to your surprise, last night had gone surprisingly well. No death, no attacking. Yet, admittedly, it was depressing to see the state of Wolf. After getting your new bitty settled in a corner of the couch, you offered him the TV remote and asked his favorite foods. He had simply replied, "whatever you give me i'll be happy with, master. i ate a month ago, so i should be fine for longer if you wish."

You had almost gasped at his answer. He thought eating who-knows-what a month ago was _fine?!_ You knew that although bitties _technically_ didn't need food, water, or sleep, they still had the pangs of hunger, the aching for water. You guessed that Wolf was probably only fed when he really needed to be healed up quickly, or just to keep him performing well in battles. God, you REALLY wanted to punch those guys in the face. But, that was in the past, and so instead you actually managed to figure out that his "preferred condiment" was hot sauce, of all things. You hadn't ever really liked hot sauce, so you decided that you'd go shopping sometime soon for some.

When you actually got him some food, a mini pizza for him and a normal slice for yourself, you found him staring blankly at the TV screen, having turned it on but nothing more. It took a lot of coaxing to even convince him that yes, he was allowed to eat this much food even though he "failed my last fight, which i deeply apologize for." Once Wolf did actually eat, it only took him a minute or two to finish. When you asked if he was still hungry, he had said, "this was more than enough, master. i'm fine."

Eventually, the night ended with you tucking the poor thing in after he had devoured two whole normal pizza slices and guzzled bottles of water. You hoped that with food and water in his body, he'd feel somewhat better the next morning. You spent a few minutes pondering how food actually gets absorbed into the bitty's bodies, bitties being skeletons, before dozing off.

Shaking your head, you stopped reminiscing and began preparing breakfast for yourself. Wolf was still passed out when you woke up an hour ago, at 10 AM, so you let him sleep. Today you had decided to do some bitty care research, find out just exactly what type of bitty he was supposed to be, and when he woke up, take him to the vet. You sighed contentedly, sitting down at your kitchen table with some Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and your phone. You quickly found a handy article, Bitty Care 101, and began scrolling through, soaking up the information;

_A bitty can be a wonderful addition to any home, but whether you're an experienced bitty caretaker or a first-time adopter, it's important to keep your skeletal companion's HP and happiness a top priority. Below are some useful tips for all bitty caretakers._

_And remember: If you're considering bringing home a new bitty, please make adoption your first option. We encourage you to browse our directory of adoptable bitties in your area or visit our Find a Bitty Center page to start your search!_

_Feeding  
\- Young bitties require food to always be available until your local vet deems their stats to be considered normal for their type.  
\- After that, your bitty can usually eat whenever you do, and whatever you do! However, do note that they may develop their own favorite foods.  
\- Two bitty types have "preferred condiments": Sansies love ketchup, and Talls will do anything to get their hands on honey. Or anything sweet, really.  
\- The other two bitty types have "preferred dishes": Baby Blues are obsessed with Mexican food, tacos especially, and Papyruses will often attempt to make spaghetti for you and him._

_Exercise  
\- Bitties are fickle creatures. Sansies and Talls will nap at almost all possible times, while Baby Blues and Papyruses will demand good sleeping habits for you at all times.  
\- However, they do need exercise to burn calories, stimulate their minds, and stay healthy. Usually though, because of their tiny size, just getting around your house is enough exercise.  
-The exception is Sansies, who will use their teleportation ability to their advantage. It is encouraged to bring them to new places often, so that they can move around without the ease of teleporting due to knowing the area._

_Bathing  
\- Bitties of all types require frequent baths to have good hygiene and generally feel good. This can be done by giving your bitties a private space with a bowl full of water and a small washcloth. They'll bathe on their own.  
\- Their clothes also need washing, which unfortunately has to be done by hand. Sansies will be troublesome, and usually won't give up their clothing so easily to you. Visit our Bitty Bathing Tips page for more info!_

_Handling  
\- To carry a bitty, offer an open palm for him to walk into. Then, lightly grab your bitty to prevent any risk of falling, and bring him to your chest. There, you can form your hand into a cup-like shape, and let the bitty get comfortable.  
\- Other handy ways to carry them around are via pockets or purses._

_Housing and Sleeping  
\- Your bitty will often sleep nearby you, but you can construct a mini house for them to sleep, eat, drink, and stay in when needed. They can be found online fully constructed, sold in kits, or you can use a how-to article to turn an old dollhouse into one.  
\- These "bitty houses" are not required, though. Your bitty will still be content without one.  
\- Sansies and Tall bitties will most likely sleep wherever, though._

_Identification  
\- Since bitties can speak, usually there is no need for identification if they become lost. However, if needed, you can microchip a bitty. It is harmless and could help secure a safe return for a lost bitty._

_Sickness  
\- Bitties have their own versions of just about every cold out there. They are usually treated similarly to humans, but call your local vet to make sure you're doing the right thing._

_Vaccinations  
\- Your bitty can get numerous vaccinations. Talk to your vet to see which ones are available._

_Vet Visits_  
_\- Visit a vet once a month for Sansies and Baby Blues, due to their low HP, and once every three months for Papyruses and Talls._  
_\- Of course, if there is an emergency, bring them in as soon as possible._

...Huh. That was a lot to take in and remember. You quickly bookmarked the page for later, as you knew you'd have to check on it frequently. You were sure that Wolf had more than enough exercise from his past, and food was no problem. Once he got healed up, you would immediately bathe him and get him new clothes. The collar and leash he wore sickened you. Wolf probably would like a "bitty house", or at least a safe, dark space he could feel comfortable in. Being the lazy person you are, you'd probably just order a premade one, and adjust it if needed. You might need to microchip him, considering that he only called you master (you still hated that), and you definitely would vaccinate him.

As you reread the article, you realized that some parts had specific info for different bitty types, and you had no clue what Wolf was. He had to be a Tall of some sort, or maybe he was just some sort of rare type. In case of that, you opened up YouTube and typed in, "rare bitty types".

Surprisingly, it yielded a result. "The Rarest (and most dangerous) Bitties", a video with 591k views. Sure, Wolf had probably killed countless other bitties, and sure he did have HUGE bone attacks, but he wasn't too bad...was he? Either way, out of curiosity you began watching.

The video detailed how there were planned to be eight bitty types, and four classifications: Tales, Swaps, Fells, and Switches. The Fells and Switches were described in an interview by the bitty's creator, Cole Tucker, as "meant to be a way to help victims of abuse and trauma recover by helping their Fell bitty overcome their own problems as well...when we produced a few and tested them, they were found to be much more violent and rude then we had anticipated. So, we scrapped the type. A year or two later we revisited the idea, and created the Switches after many tweaks and adjustments to make them less prone to bad tendencies and fighting. We had even copied the Baby Blue and Tall models and just edited their coding because we thought that would help. It didn't, though. If anything, they were worse. The modified Baby Blue was downright abusive to their brother type and nasty to anyone who approached, and the modified Tall would do nothing but follow what the Baby Blue model told them to do. We gave up the idea there."

Woah. That...made a lot of sense, assuming that Wolf was the modified Tall bitty Cole was describing. It was horrible, though, to realize that he had been commanded and pushed around his entire life, not just in the fighting ring. You wanted to throw up. Still, you pressed on and unpaused the video, where you saw a different interview by Cole.

"...yeah, we were pretty far in when creating the Fell bitties, so we did give them names. The short model was Red, and the tall one Edgy. With the Switches though...they went downhill so fast we didn't even give 'em names. Besides, the modified Tall was continuously called Mutt by the modified Baby Blue, and the name stuck." Oh. Damn, the "Mutt" name was given to Wolf by his own brother bitty. That was just terrible. "Yes, the rumors are true. One of each of the Fell bitties escaped when we were scrapping them, and both Switches fled as soon as they had the opportunity. They are extremely powerful, violent, and dangerous. If you find one of these bitties, call police immediately and make a run for it."

...holy shit. They were that violent from the start? The Switches didn't even escape because they were being scrapped, they escaped just because they could. You shot a scared glance to the sleeping bitty on your couch. I mean...you knew he was dangerous, but not this much. Still, out of the description Cole gave, Wolf did seem the most passive out of the four of them, and you were determined to save him. It would definitely take much more time and effort than you thought, considering that being basically a slave was the only life he knew. You sighed and pinched your temples. What had you gotten yourself into?

You couldn't even bring him to the vet anymore, as they would probably scrap him, and you had absolutely no clue how to heal his injuries alone. All you had were a few bandaids and maybe you could fashion some old socks into gauze?? Ugh, if you knew what you were getting into before...

...wait.

Bitties had healing magic, right? A quick Google search told you that only Tall and Papyrus bitties could, but yes, it was possible. You laughed with relief when reading this, knowing that Sunny, your cousin's Papyrus bitty, would probably heal Wolf better than the vet could. Plus, your uncle and aunt had adopted Sunny out of an abusive situation, and had owned many bitties beforehand, so you were sure they would help out too. Hopefully. You shot out a text to your Aunt Petunia, asking if you could visit today. It was an hour long drive into the mountains, but you didn't mind. It was scenic and a great break from the skyscrapers and office buildings of Ebott City. You smiled...until you got the terrifying feeling someone was watching you.

You turned your head to the right...only to see that Wolf had woken up and was watching you with that hazy pink eye. You wondered if Sunny would even be able to somewhat heal his other eye, which seemed to be heavily damaged and blind. But, it was glowing brightly when you first met him last night. Maybe it still worked somewhat? Eh, you didn't want to prod Wolf too much. Instead, you greeted him.

"Good morning Wolf! How are you feeling?" You asked with a hint of concern while you put your dirty dishes into the sink and began preparing another bowl of cereal for your bitty. It took a long time to respond, but that seemed like a defining characteristic of Wolf. You guessed he was pondering what to say, as he probably had limited social interaction up until last night. Poor thing.

"...good." He responded with hesitance, as you brought him the bowl of cereal. He glanced from you, to the cereal, to you, to the floor. "...master, i had more than enough food last night. i'm fine."

"Wolf, full-grown bitties are supposed to eat with or around the same time as their humans. At least, that's what I read." You told him gently with a frown. His eyelight shrunk to a pinprick for a moment, before he closed his eye in thought. Another characteristic. It did look odd, though, considering that he only had one functioning eye, to your knowledge. After what seemed like hours, he replied.

"...you mean that bitties are supposed to eat multiple times a day?" Wolf questioned tentatively, browbones furrowed. "we only need food if we're performing badly. i'm deeply apologetic if i have been this terrible, master. you can dust me if you wish, master."

Your soul ached for the poor being. You sighed quietly, before slightly smiling.

"You've been great, okay? You do need food, and I'll give you food whenever you need to, not when you're doing poorly. Everyone makes mistakes, and that's okay, alright? Now, eat up. You need it." You tried to be as gentle and encouraging as possible, but Wolf had barely processed the information before responding at the speed of light.

"yes, master." He said robotically, unlike when he'd take minutes to respond normally. Darn, he must've taken the reminder to eat the cereal as a command. You'd have to be more careful with your word choice in the future, then. Handing Wolf the cereal, he slowly ate a few spoonfuls, before devouring the entire bowl, milk and all, in a few minutes. You reached for the remote shortly after, and turned on the local news station for the weather report. This was always part of your morning routine, and it seemed that this part of it wouldn't change, even with a bitty by your side. Every now and then, you'd glance to Wolf, who seemed to blink multiple times whenever he heard new information, before reading it over and over again. It was almost as if you would take the TV away at any moment, and this was his only chance to memorize the material. You wondered how many times this had actually happened to him. It seemed that every time you interacted with the skeleton, you just found out more of his terrible backstory.

The **ding!** of your phone snapped you out of your thoughts. Opening up your messages, you found that Aunt Petunia had responded, saying "Of course sweetie! Drop by anytime <3" Ahh, she was probably your favorite family member. The text also reminded you that you should tell Wolf in advance, so that's exactly what you did.

"Hey, Wolf? We're going to visit my cousin, who has a bitty that can help heal your injuries, if that's okay?" You knew he wouldn't say no, but you hoped leaving the option for him to would eventually make him realize that he had a choice in all matters. But, instead of the quick "yes, master." you expected, you got a closed eye of thinking.

"...my hp is 102/880, i'm more than fine, master. i don't require healing." Wolf said, after looking off into the distance like he was reading something. Maybe his stats? Anyways, 102 out of 880? That was way too low for comfort. 

"Well, even if you think you don't, I think you do, alright? We'll be heading off at 3 PM today, if that's okay with you."

"yes, master."

Sighing, you went and rinsed his bowl and spoon and began to clean the dishes piled up in the sink. Glancing back at Wolf fondly, you realized this was definitely not how you planned to spend your weekend.

You didn't mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Wolf and Ivy head off to her Aunt's house and Wolf gets a makeover :D


	3. A Wolf Sees The Sun

"Are you sure you're okay with heading out? We don't have to leave if you don't want to." You said with an encouraging smile as you stuffed a tote bag you had gotten from your local grocery store full of various snacks, your grocery list, and your phone. Attempting to sling it over your shoulder, you winced but managed to keep it there. It was heavy, but still could be carried. You just hoped you wouldn't dislocate your shoulder in the process.

"...i'm fine, master." Wolf responded, bony hands stuffed into his purple hoodie. You nodded, and was about to offer a hand to carry him when he spoke again. "but...do you mean it?"

"Mean what, Wolf?" You blinked with confusion. His one working(?) eye drifted towards the floor, and after a little while he hesitantly continued.

"when you say we don't have to leave if i don't want to...you always say stuff like that." He said with audible confusion, and your soul continued to ache for your poor new bitty. He was so quiet and hesitant to speak. Unless it was a yes or no, of course. "do you mean that i...i have a choice?"

Your eyes began to fill with water, but you blinked it away and forced a smile onto your face before responding.

"Of course you do! You always have a choice here, alright? If you don't want something, or don't like something, just say, okay? You **matter** , Wolf." His pupil shrunk to a small dot, before it closed altogether in thought. You frowned with pity after a few minutes of waiting for him to speak, and offered an open palm for him to step into. To your surprise, he did so without too much hesitation, and you gently put him in one of your coat pockets. You felt Wolf freeze, unmoving for a few seconds, before relaxing and even snuggling into your coat. God, you thought your soul was suffering from everything your poor bitty had gone through, but now you were sure that it'd melt from adorableness. Smiling wide and genuine, you texted your Aunt Petunia to let her know you were on your way before putting it back in your bag and exiting your house.

***  
The drive was actually pretty peaceful and like you thought, gorgeous. Ebott City was formed at the base of the biggest mountain in the area, after all, and so it doesn't take long before you enter rolling hills and untouched forests for miles on end. Wolf had fucking **_levitated_** out of the coat pocket after a little while and sat down on the empty seat beside yours, jaw hanging open as he took in the view. He probably hadn't seen anything like this in his life, and was absolutely fascinated by the mountains that touched the clouds and various types of trees everywhere. It was quite bittersweet.

Eventually, after a little over an hour, you reached a quite normal-looking house in the middle of the woods. It almost seemed like it had been taken straight from a normal suburb, with perfectly-trimmed green grass lining the house and a small paved driveway with no cracks. Glancing to some movement you saw on the porch, you saw your Aunt Petunia, Uncle Frank, and your cousin Blanca waving at you eagerly. Plus, you were pretty sure that tiny moving dot on the fence was Sunny, Blanca's Papyrus bitty. God, they were too kind and pure. As you turned off the car, you looked at Wolf. He was staring at the small but happy family with longing and a hint of amazement. Your mind drifted back to when you watched the interviews and heard how his brother had ordered him around and called him Mutt. Wolf had probably never had a loving family ever, so the sight of your relatives probably confused and saddened him.

"Ivy!!!!! Hi!!!!" Blanca chirped eagerly, her short 7 year old body only able to hug your legs. You chuckled and ruffled her curly black hair, but out of the corner of your eye you saw Wolf flinch. Hopefully this wouldn't trigger any bad experiences or panic attacks, etcetera. It was probably just your cousin's peppiness.

"Where's your new little bitty friend????" She asked with a bit of concern. You grinned and reached into the car, holding an open palm for Wolf. It took almost too long for the seven year old to handle, patience levels being quite low at her age, but eventually you brought a slightly trembling bitty out of your car. Blanca squealed in delight, greeting Wolf and then running off and back onto the porch, seemingly asking you to follow her. So, you did, lightly petting Wolf's skull to try and comfort him a bit.

"Hello my dearest Ivy and-oh!" Aunt Petunia greeted, before stopping in shock at the poor state of Wolf. Practically the same reaction you had, albeit without the adrenaline and fear. Your bitty trembled a bit, backing up as far as he could into your hand. Poor thing must be terrified. Seemingly realizing this, Aunt Petunia continued cheerily. "What an amazing bitty you have! What's your name?"

Wolf saw through her attempt to brush it off, though, and began glaring at her. Petunia frowned and was about to back off and introduce the rest of the family when your bitty actually responded.

"'m name's mu-" Wolf cut himself off and inhaled sharply, shivering, before correcting himself. "wolf."

"WOLF? WOWIE, THAT'S SUCH A COOL NAME!!" Sunny complimented genuinely, though Wolf still seemed off-put by the overall excitement that the family radiated. Eye drifting to a peppy yet concerned-looking Papyrus bitty, Wolf studied Sunny, flinching a few times but otherwise not having much reaction. Huh. You'd have to work on manners, I guess.

"Heya." Uncle Frank greeted simply. This seemed to trigger Wolf for some reason, as he began trembling intensely and whimpering while trying to scratch himself. Fuck, you were hoping for no panic attacks. You really hoped Wolf would trust you after this. Immediately Sunny voiced concern.

"FRIEND WOLF, ARE YOU ALRIGHT? I CAN HELP IF YOU WANT?" Obviously, Wolf didn't answer, but you knew Sunny and healing magic enough to know that handing Wolf off to Sunny would help him almost immediately. Blanca's mood soured, but she still put on an adorable brave face and picked up both Wolf and Sunny, before dashing inside. Uncle Frank cringed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm sure he'll be alright sweetie," Aunt Petunia reassured you, putting a warm hand on your shoulder. "Now, how about we catch up over a cup of tea?"

***

It had been two hours before you heard skidding and pitter-pattering from nearby. You brushed it off as rain or something, instead opting to continue eating Petunia's delicious homemade applesauce as she showed off her newest fabric designs. She loved sewing, and actually made high-quality expensive weighted blankets for a living. Quite niche, but it brought in a lot of money surprisingly. Suddenly, Sunny appeared on the table, waving his arms wildly and jumping as high as his little legs would let him.

"HUMANS! WOLF IS FEELING MUCH BETTER NOW! WE EVEN PICKED OUT SOME NEW CLOTHES FOR HIM! COME AND SEE!" With that, the skeleton bitty scampered back to the chair next to you, climbing back down to the floor using the legs of the chair and dashing off towards Blanca's room. You just stared in bewilderment, before hearing Aunt Petunia laugh.

"We picked quite the energetic one, as you can tell." She chuckled with a content smile. You grinned back and went to go see how Wolf looked.

When you saw him, it was almost as if you were meeting a completely new skeleton. He still clung onto his dark purple hoodie, it seemed, as the ragged piece of fabric was still covering his bones and was slung over his head. You noted that he now had a shirt under the hoodie, a muted purple color that went along well with his hoodie. No longer were the oversized tattered black pants worn. Instead he wore loose purple leggings with small white stars on each hip. It looked so comfy that you wanted a pair for yourself. His actual bones were fully healed, save for scars and indents. The one useless(?) eye hadn't changed, it seemed. Maybe if Wolf ever trusted you enough, you'd ask him about it. What you were most excited about was the fact that the purple collar and leash on his vertebrae were nowhere to be seen, although the collar did leave quite the nasty indent. Just one more thing for him to be proud about! He didn't look too proud, though. Instead, he fidgeted with his hoodie pockets, looking everywhere but at you.

"...master...do i look bad? i'm sorry if i do, i'll do better next time, i promise, please please don-"

"Wolf, you look amazing! You won't be punished at all, okay? You're an amazing 'lil skeleton."

"..."

"..."

"...thanks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: You go late-night grocery shopping, but you feel like you're being watched...


	4. 8 O'Clock Shopping

"Bye! Thank you so much for all the help!" You called out to Aunt Petunia, Blanca, and Sunny, and you meant it. You had no clue that healing magic worked that quickly and that well, and you weren't expecting Sunny to give Wolf some of his clothes. Sometimes you wondered how these kind, selfless people were part of your family.

"It was no problem, dear!"

"You're welcome!!"

"BYE HUMAN AND FRIEND WOLF!"

With that, you closed your car door, setting Wolf down on the empty seat next to you. He watched your relatives excitedly waving goodbye in wonder, still incredibly enamored. 

"You sure you're ready to go?" You asked with a bit of concern. Honestly, you wouldn't mind staying the night up here in the middle of the woods, and you could still go shopping tomorrow. You could even take the entire week off if you wanted to, as you had built up a ton of vacation days you had never used. Startled by your sudden question, Wolf turned towards you with a widened eyesocket, before nodding his head hesitantly after a little while.

"...yeah," Wolf replied, and you swore you could see a slight smile forming. You grinned wide and genuine at him, before turning around towards the backseat and rummaging through your snacks. _Where is...A-HA!_

After a bit of rummaging, you tugged out a bag of salt-and-vinegar potato chips, something you thought Wolf might love. Tearing it open, you offered it to your bitty. He looked at you, then the bag, then you. You nodded, and he began graciously eating the chips. With a content smile, you pulled out of the driveway and began heading towards Ebott City's Walmart. Sure, it was a **Walmart** , but honestly it always had just about everything you could ever want, so you didn't really care. 

***  
It took a bit longer than usual due to you slowing down so Wolf wouldn't choke on the potato chips, but at around 8:00 PM you had arrived. As you pulled into the parking lot, Wolf glanced up at the window, and analyzed the scene. He turned to you with his head tilted.

"...master, where are we?" He questioned, browbone furrowed. You finally found somewhere to park, and answered him shortly afterwards.

"We're at a store, Walmart. We're gonna get you everything you could ever want!" His eyelight shrunk to a pinprick, and he closed it in thought. Yes, you were gonna get him anything you wanted. You had the money to buy out the entire store, technically, but you liked to be modest. You reached out your palm to him, and gently nudged his legs. He jumped, turned to you, and then crawled into it. God, he was almost too adorable for you to stand. 

"Would you mind if I put you on my shoulder so you can see?" You realized that if he was in your pocket, he wouldn't be able to see, and you had seen bitties riding around on their owners by clinging onto their shoulders, so hopefully this'd work. Wolf blinked a few times, before shaking his head. So, within a couple short minutes, you were striding into Walmart, shopping cart in your hands and bitty on your shoulder. A cringy 80's love song was blasting from the speakers, and as you looked around you saw multiple other people with bitties on their shoulders. Phew, you wouldn't look too weird. Immediately, you headed over to the Condiments aisle, and grabbed five bottles of hot sauce. Just so that you didn't have to buy more for a while. You hoped Wolf was smiling right now.

Soon afterwards you picked out a few cartons of your favorite ice cream, along with various other foods and drinks. Eventually, you sighed and smiled. It was Wolf's turn.

"So, what do ya like, Wolf?" You asked gently to the skeleton on your shoulder. He was silent for a while, but in no time he was guiding you around the store, picking out french toast sticks and various pastas the most excitedly. Seems that even if you took the pep from the Papyrus, they'd still love pasta anyways. Overall, you had a great time, but you seriously couldn't shake the feeling that someone, or **something** was watching you. Every so often, you would see a flash of red out of the corner of your eye, only for nothing to be there when you investigated. No matter where you were in the store, you swore that something was watching your every step carefully, always there. So, when you eventually left around 10 PM, you were pretty glad to not be stalked anymore.

It seemed that somewhere along the course of checking out and driving home, Wolf had fallen asleep. His little head was tilted to one side, and he was snoring softly. You involuntarily squealed due to the cuteness, and gently set him down in the new bitty house he had picked out. You fell asleep too shortly after, smile wide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Fast forwards two months, and everything is going well. That is, until you get burglarized by...two oddly familiar bitties? Plus, a bit of Wolf's perspective :)


End file.
